Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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THERMAL BEACON IGNITOR CIRCUIT
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention:
This invent ion re lates genera lly to tube- launched mis siles
and particularly to a method of upgrading a missile to incorporate
advan ces in techn ology.
Descr iption of Re lated Art:
Advancements in technology force a missile to be upgraded.
These advancements can be in the in warheads, guidance systems,
materials, or even fundamental design changes. When it is
possible, these advancements are incorporated into the missile in
such a way that the basic missile doesn't become antiquated or
obsol ete .
To f a ci li ta te the i ncor porati on of techno logi ca l
advancements, many missiles have become modular in nature. This
means, for example, that the propulsion unit is practically a
stand-alone unit having a standardized interface uith other
modules of the missile such as the electronics module, the warhead
modul e, etc .
Modularity requires that the interf aces between the modules
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be "s tandardized" so that an upgraded module does not necessitate
changes in other modules.
For a tube-launched missile, this requirement for
"standardization" applies not ~ust to the missile itself, but also
to the launcher/ case. The launcher or missile case contains the
missile prior to launch and provides not only information to the
tube-launched missile but also an initial electrical current flou.
Often the incorporation of a technological advancement
changes the electrical current demands of the missile. Although
missiles are originally designed with an excess margin of current,
in some applications, the current requirements of a particular
advancement will exceed this margin. In this situation, short of
redesigning the entire case/ launcher and missile, it is
impossible to incorporate the technological advancement. In such
a case, the parti cular upgrade cannot be incorporated into the
missile and the missile stands to become obsolete.
It is also known that electrical current for of a missile in
pre-launch is needed primarily to s tart the components that will
be used to guide and propel the missile in flight. Start-up is
accomplished by f iring squibs to ac tivate such devices as the
gyros or to initiate the operation of the flight batteries.
As example, assume that a tube-launched missile has a ten
amperes capacity. Also assume that the squibs for two batteries
and a gyro system, each requiring two amperes, must be fired prior
to flight, giving a total requirement of six ampreres. The excess
margin is therefore only four amperes. Should a technological
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advancement to the missile require five amperes to
operate or begin operation, it could not be incorporated
without alterations to the launcher/ case or other
missile components. In addition, even if current
requirements fall within the margin of four amperes, no
margin would be left for error and the entire missile
system could easily fail.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Various aspects of the invention are as follows:
In a missile system of the type including a missile
disposed within a missile launching case and requiring
electrical current during a pre-launch period, the
improvement comprising:
(a) monitor means for monitoring the electrical
current of said missile during said pre-launch period;
(b) a thermal beacon; and,
(c) activator means responsive to said monitor
means for activating said thermal beacon within said
missile during said pre-launch period when the
electrical current of the missile decreases to a
predetermined level.
A missile system comprising:
(a) a tube-launched missile having electrical
current demands during pre-launch.
(b) a missile launching case;
(c) a wire harness electrically connecting said
missile with said launching case during pre-launch; and,
(d) intercepting circuit means for monitoring
electrical current demands of said missile and including
activator means for activating a selected device within
said missile when the electrical current demands of the
missile have decreased to a predetermined level.
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The present invention takes advantage of an
important attribute of a missile's pre-launch electrical
current supply, it is not constant. As internal missile
devices are activated, they do not continue to require
the same electrical current; hence, in pre-launch, the
current demands of a missile decrease over time.
The present invention recognizes that the current
required by the activation of the batteries and the
gyros is only temporary and decreases dramatically once
the squibs have been blown. By monitoring the return
line, it can be determined when the squibs have blown
and when there is enough electrical current available,
with a margin of safety, for the circuit to utilize the
electrical current form the launcher to power some other
device, such as the technological advancement.
Similarly, the invention recognizes that some
technological advances, such as a thermal beacon for a
tube-launched missile, do not require modification of
the entire module but can be added on as a kit.
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This task is accomplished by interposing the circuit of the
present invention between existing mating connectors in the wire
harne ss tha t norm ally c arries the e lectri cal cu rrent to the
missi le. In this manner, the other components of the missi le and
the launcher remain totally unauare of the neu technological
advancement which has been added to the missile since its
operation has limited affect on these components.
This ability of the present invention to be unobtrusively
placed in the wire harness line, permits the invention to
intercept and monitor electrical current demands of the missile
without requiring extensive modification or re-engineering of the
missi le.
The invention uill be more fully explained by the reference
to ac companying d rauing s and the de script ion .
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a schematic of the circuitry of the preferred
embod iment of the inven tion.
Figure 2 is a perspective vieu of an embodiment of the
invention utilized to ignite a thermal source/ beacon.
Figure 3 is an af t-end vieu of an embodiment of the
invention incorporated into a tube-launched missile.
Figure 4 is a block-diagram of a tubè-launched missile
system utilizing the preferred embodiment of thls invention.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Figure 1 is a circuit diagram of the preferred embodiment of
the lnvention, that which is used to ignite a thermal beacon.
Circuit 10 intercepts the signals from the wire harness (not
shown ) by u tili2i ng connector 1 la and connector 1 lb. These
connectors mate with the case connector 1 2a and the missile
connector 1 2b respectively. This arrangement permits certain
lines 13a and 13b to be pass directly through without modif ication
or in tercep tion.
Within circuit 10, the prefire return 18 is monitored via
circuitry 8. Circuit 8 determines when sufficient electrical
current is available to ignite the beacon (not shown) via leads
14a and 14b. Resistor R3, 17, is used to monitor the return
electrical flow to determine when there is sufficient electrical
curre nt .
The source of the electrical current is via lead 9 which
communicates with fusible resistors 16a and 16b to lead 14a.
Resistor 15 permits the circuitry 10 to identify itself to
the operator. Lead 19 is used to test the circuitry 8 both in
production and once circuit 10 has been installed in the missile
(not shown).
In this manner, the electrical current demand of the missile
can be moni tored and when the electrical demands are reduced to a
predetermined level, the beacon ignitor of this embodiment can be
activ ated.
In this preferred embodiment, Table A indicates the
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preferred commercially available part numbers:
TA BLE A
Identifer Description Part Number
R1 Resi stor RNC55H4021FR
R2 Resi stor RNC55H1 540FR
R3 Resi stor RW79UOORlF
R4A Fusi ble Re sis tor M IS-136 57-3
R4B Fusi ble Re sis tor M IS-136 57-3
Rid Resi stor RNC55H
CR1 Semi conduc tor-Di ode JANTXIN3600
Q1 Thyristor 2N2324SJAN
(~ Value of Resistor Depends on the Missile Identification)
Although the present description, and those follouing refer
to the use of the invention to igni te a thermal beacon, those of
ordinary skill in the art readily recognize that the invention can
be used vhenever an electrical current load mechanism is being
fitted into an existing missi le / missile system.
A perspective of the preferred embodiment of the invention
is given in Figure 2. The intercepting circuit 10 communicates
the electrical current to ignitor 22 via leads 14a and 14b.
Thermal beacon 21 is activated by ignitor 22 and is secured
in place to the missile (not shown) by frame 20.
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In this manner, a retrofit ki t is created which can be
placed on the desired missile uithout having to alter the
electrical characteristics of the entire missile by either
changing the electrical current demands or by adding more powerful
batte ries .
The p laceme nt of the thermal beacon descr ibed i n Figu re 2 i n
a missile is illustrated in Figure 3. Figure 3 is a view of the
aft end of a tube-launched missile.
The intercepting circui t 10 and thermal beacon 21 are
secured to the missile via screws 31a and 31b. Connector 32,
which is connectable to the wire harness (not shown), is clearly
accessible by the operator. The intercepting circuit 10 utilizes
it's second connector (not shown in this illustration) to connect
to the connector from the missile ( also not shoun). In this
manner, the thermal beacon 21 and the intercepting ci rcuit 10 are
installed in the missile without any undue modification thereto.
The preferred embodiment of the invention utilizes a tube
launched missile. In that embodiment, spools 30a and 30b unwind
steel wires for operator direction of the missile. IR Source 33
helps to keep the launched mi ssile on track.
Figure 4 illustrates the use of the preferred embodiment to
create an enhanced miss ile system.
Missi le 41 is secured f or launching within case 40.
Electrical current for pre-launch power-up of missile 41 is
supplied by power supply 43 via wire harness 42. Intercepting
circuit 10 monitors this electrical current and activates the
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thermal beacon (not shown) when sufficient electrical current is
avail able.
In this manner, a missi le whi ch heretofore did not have the
abili ty to have a thermal beacon due to limited battery
S capability, can now have this capability; thereby creating an
enhanced missile system.
It is clear from the forgoing that the present invention
cures a significant problem in enhancing missiles with
technological advancements.
